Foldable support apparatus for the upper bed deck of a mobile home unit

ABSTRACT

A pair of foldable support structures carried on the ceiling wall of the body of a mobile home vehicle are arranged at opposite ends of the upper deck to support the upper deck for movement to an elevated horizontally disposed storage position adjacent the ceiling wall and to a lowered horizontal position suspended from the ceiling wall. Each support structure includes a mounting plate attachable to the ceiling wall and a pair of pivoted lever assemblies, interconnected for pivotal movement together, with one of their ends pivotally supported on the mounting plate and the other of their ends pivotally connected to an end of the upper deck. The lever assemblies are vertically extended to suspend the upper deck from the ceiling wall and are foldable inwardly toward each other to positions extended transversely of the upper deck to store the upper deck adjacent the ceiling wall.

United States Patent Elmer K. Hansen 801 S. Martha, Sioux City, Iowa51102 [21 Appl. No. 807,260

[22] Filed Mar. 14, 1969 [4S] Patented Apr. 27, 1971 72] inventor [S4]FOLDABLE SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR THE UPPER BED DECK OF A MOBILE HOME UNITPrimary Examiner-Philip Goodman Att0rney-Rud0lph L. Lowell ABSTRACT: Apair of foldable support structures carried on the ceiling wall of thebody of a mobile home vehicle are arranged at opposite ends of the upperdeck to support the upper deck for movement to an elevated horizontallydisposed storage position adjacent the ceiling wall and to a loweredhorizontal position suspended from the ceiling wall. Each supportstructure includes a mounting plate attachable to the ceiling wall and apair of pivoted lever assemblies, interconnected for pivotal movementtogether, with one of their ends pivotally supported on the mountingplate and the other of their ends pivotally connected to an end of theupper deck. The lever assemblies are vertically extended to suspend theupper deck from the ceiling wall and are foldable inwardly toward eachother to positions extended transversely of the upper deck to store theupper deck adjacent the ceiling wall.

PATENTED M27197! SHEET 1 ur 3 VENTOR. fLMER K HA/YJEN 4 77' OR/YEXPATEN'T ED m2 7 I9" SHEET 3 OF 3 mm T6 N N w WM n m A a M PH". v! 5FOLDAIBLE SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR THE UPPER BED DECK OF A MOBILE HOME UNITSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The foldable support structures are of acompact construction for mounting from the ceiling wall in asubstantially concealed location between a sidewall of the body of amobile home vehiclezand a corresponding end of an upper deck bed. Whenthe upper deck is lowered from the ceiling in an occupant receivingposition the pivoted lever assemblies from upright ceiling supportedhangar members, one of which is located adjacent each corner of theupper deck. On raising the upper deck to its storage position adjacentthe ceiling wall the lever assemblies are folded inwardly toward eachother to substantially horizontal positions located between a sidewallof the body of the mobile home unit and an adjacent end of the upperdeck. The foldable structures thus provide for a use of the full toparea of the upper deck for occupant receiving purposes, and aresubstantially concealed when the upper deck is stored so as to give anunobstructed appearance and full use of the space below the upper deck.The support structures are releasably locked in the raised and loweredpositions of the upper deck to eliminate any accidental or unintendedmovement of the upper deck from such positions. Spring means for biasingthe foldable support structures to the folded positions thereforfacilitates movement of the upper deck to its raised and loweredpositions with a minimum of manual effort.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the interior rear portion ofthe body of a mobile home vehicle with portions broken away and otherportions shown in section, illustrating the foldable support structuresfor the upper bed deck in the folded horizontal positions thereforproviding for a storage position of the upper deck adjacent to theceiling or roof of the vehicle body;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the foldablestructures, illustrated generally in FIG. 1, shown in an extended orunfoldedposition wherein the upper deck is horizontally disposed in avertically spaced relation below the ceiling of the vehicle body;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view illustrated similarly to FIG. 2showing the support structure in a folded or retracted position;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded perspective view of a foldable structure;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view illustrated similarly to FIG. 3'looking at the side thereof opposite the side shown in'FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view as seen on the line 6-6 inFIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional detail view taken along the line 7-7 inFIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to FIG. 1 of thedrawings, there is illustrated the rear interior portion of thebody 10of a mobile home vehicle unit having sidewalls II, a rear wall 12, and aceiling wall or roof 13. The sidewalls 11 and rear wall 12 are providedin a usual manner with windows 14. Extended transversely between thesidewalls 11 and against the rear wall 12 is a rear seat assembly 16. Asis well known the seat assembly is convertible to a bed unit or lowerbunk. Mobile home vehicle units arealso generally provided with an upperbunk or deck bed 17 that is movable to a storage position providing fora seating occupancy of the rear seat 16 and to anoperating or sleepingposition horizontally extended in a spaced relation from the ceilingwall 13.

The support apparatus of this invention for the upper deck 17 includes apair of retractable and extendible support structures 18 that aresimilar in construction and operation and similarly installed relativeto the ceiling wall 13 and'upper r deck 17. Only one such supportstructure, therefore, will be described in detail with like parts beingdesignated by like numbers.

A support structure 18 includes an elongated flat mounting plate orbracket 21 having a main body member 22 of a generally rectangular shape(FIGS. 1 and 2) formed with an upwardly and inwardly inclined topsection 23. The inclination of the top section 23 corresponds generallyto the curvature of the junction 24 of the ceiling wall 13 with asidewall 11. Pendently carried adjacent opposite ends of the body member22 for pivotal movement about pivots 26 extended transversely thereofare operating levers 27 and 28. Each operating lever 27 and 28 is of agenerally elongated triangular shape (FIGS. 2 and 4) having a base side29, a short side 30 and an apex portion 31 formed between the short side30 and the hypotenuse side 32. The pivots 26 are located at the lowercorner portions of the body member 22 of the mounting plate 21 and theoperating levers 27 and 28 are supported thereon with their base sides29 facing each other. Each pivot support 26 is extended through acorresponding operating lever 27 and 28 in a position adjacent to thetop side 30 and closer to the base side 29 than to the apex portion 31.

The end of the base side 29 (FIG. 2) of an operating lever 27 remotefrom the pivotal support 26 is pivotally connected at 33 to one end of asuspension lever 34. The opposite end of a suspension lever is pivotallyconnected to an end frame member 36 of the upper deck 17 by a pivot pin37 projected laterally from the frame member 36 at a position adjacentone end thereof. The pivot pins 37 are spaced longitudinally of the endmember 36 a distance apart which is less than the spacing of the pivotalsupports 26 longitudinally of the mounting plate 21. As a result when alever assembly, comprised of an operating lever 27 and a suspensionlever 34, is pendently supported from the mounting plate 21, as shown inFIG. 2, the axis of the pivot connection 33 is in a vertical planelocated between vertical planes extended through the axes of the pivotalsupport 26 and pivot connection 37. I

The pair of lever assemblies for each supporting structure 18 areinterconnected'for concurrent relative pivotal movement by a tie rod 38(FIGS. 2 and 5) that has one end pivotally connected at 39 adjacent tothe apex portion 31 of the operating lever 27 and its opposite endpivotally connected at 41 to the operating lever 28 at the junction ofthe base side 29 and short side 30 thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6the tie rod 38 is located adjacent the sides of the operating levers 27and 28 remote from the mounting plate 21.

The operating levers 27 and 28 are continuously biased for pivotalmovement inwardly toward each other by a coil spring 42 that isconnected at each end to a connector member 43 (FIGS. 4 and 5). Eachconnector member 43 is made of a rod material having a hooked end 44connectable with a corresponding end of the coil spring 42. The otherend of a connector member 43 is formed with a laterally extended pivotor bearing 46 (FIG. 6) which terminates in'a head portion 47. Each ofthe pivots 46 is extended transversely of a corresponding operatinglever 27 and 28 at the apex portion 31 thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7; the laterally offset apex portions 31 of thelevers 27 and 28 locates the connector members 43 and in turn the spring42 in a clearance relation with outer side of the tie rod 38. Likewise,it will be noted that each operating lever 27 and 28 at its pivotedconnection 29 and 41, respectively, with the tie rod 38 is formed with alaterally extended bearing portion 48 so as to be in a pivotal clearancerelation with the tie rod 38 and the mounting plate 21. The spring 42,operating levers 27 and 28, suspension levers 34 and tie rod'38 are thusinterconnected for pivotal movement relative to each other in parallelplanes extended longitudinally of the mounting plate 21.

The mounting plate 21 (FIG. 1) extends fore and aft of the vehicle body10 with its inclined top section 23 extended inwardly of the vehiclebody 10 and secured to the ceiling wall 13 by screws 49 inserted throughholes 30 in the top section.

23. The body section 22 of the mounting plate thus projects downwardlyadjacent to and in a parallel spaced relation with a sidewall 11 at aposition above the rear seat assembly 16. When a support structure 18 isin a retracted position therefor, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and the framemember 36 of the upper deck 17 is horizontally disposed above the rearseat assembly 16 in a position adjacent to the ceiling wall 13 andwithin the lateral confines or vertical height of the mounting plate 21.In this retracted position (FIGS. 3 and 5) the operating levers 27 and28 are projected inwardly toward each other in a back-to-back relationwith corresponding suspension levers 34 which from the pivot connections33 are projected away from each other.

Additionally, it will be seen that the pivot connections 37 of thesuspension levers 34 with the upper deck frame member 36 are locatedinwardly of the pivot supports 26 for the operating levers 27 and 28 ina common horizontal plane which is located between the horizontal planesthat are common to the pivot supports 26 and pivot connections 33,respectively. This retracted position of a supporting structure 18 isdefined by the stop action of the suspension levers 34 and upper deckmember 36 to limit upward pivotal movement of the operating levers 27and 28 toward each other. In other words any upward pivotal movement ofthe operating levers 27 and 28 from their positions shown in FIGS. 3 and5 tends to move the pivot connections 37 of the suspension levers 34with the frame member 36 toward each other. However, this inwardmovement of the pivot connections 37 is prevented by the frame member 36which maintains fixed the spacing between the pivot connections 37.

The operating levers 27 and 28 are continuously urged to their retractedstop positions by the spring 42. The short side 30 of each operatinglever 27 and 28 functions as a moment arm for the spring 42 relative toa pivot support 26 so that the tension force of the spring is constantlyapplied to move the operating levers upwardly against the stop action ofthe suspension members 34 and the upper deck frame member 36.

A supporting structure 18 is locked in its retracted position in FIGS. 3and 5 by a flat latch member 51 pendently supported at 52 at each end ofthe body section 23 of the mounting plate 21 at a position adjacent apivot support 26. The latch member 51 (FIGS. 3 and 7) is formed with ahook 53 which on pivotal movement of the latch member is engageable withor released from a corresponding catch member 54 that projects laterallyfrom the upper deck frame member 36 at a position spaced outwardly froman adjacent pivot connection 37.

The latch member 51 is releasably maintained in locked engagement withthe catch member 54 by a finger actuated holding member 56 (FIGS. 3 and4) of a flat generally triangular shape having a finger hole 57 and alatch receiving slot 58. The holding member 56 is interconnected with anadjacent connector member 43 by a coil spring 59 which is placed undertension when the free end of a latch member 51, as shown in FIG. 3, isinserted within the slot 58.

To lower the upper deck 17 the holding members 56 are disengaged fromthe latch members 51 which are then swung outwardly out of engagementwith the catch members 54. On manual downward movement of the upper deckthe decrease against the biasing action of the spring 42, a supportingstructure 18 is moved from its retracted position of FIG. 3 to itsextended or unfolded position shown in FIG. 2. During this downwardmovement of the upper deck 17 the tension force of the spring 42functions to counterbalance the weight of the upper deck so as toprevent any sudden falling movement of the upper deck. However, and asclearly shown in FIG. 2, the effective counterbalancing action of thespring 42 is progressively diminished as the upper deck 17 approachesthe lowered position therefor by virtue of the decrease in the effectivelength of the spring moment arm on the operating levers 28 and 29relative to the pivotal supports 26. As a result the weight of the upperdeck 17 in its lowered position substantially overcomes the biasingaction of the spring 42 to elevate the upper deck.

The lowered position of the upper deck 17 and in turn the unfoldedposition of the support structures 18 is reached when the operatinglevers 28 and 29 and corresponding suspension levers 34 are pendentlysupported in an end-to-end relation from the pivot supports 26. Theupper deck is locked in its lowered position by the latch members 51,the hooks 53 of which are pivotally movable into locking engagement withcorresponding catch members 61 (FIGS. 2 and 6) projected laterallyinwardly from an operating member 28 and 29 at a position adjacent theapex portion 31 thereof.

To return the upper deck 17 to its elevated position the latch members51 are disengaged from the catch members 61 and the upper deck is thenmoved upwardly with a minimum of manual effort due to the assistanceaction of the spring 42. In both the raising and lowering of the upperdeck 17, it will be apparent from FIG. 2 that the pivot connections 37of the suspension levers 34 with upper deck frame member 36 are movabletogether in parallel vertical planes so as to maintain the upper deckhorizontally disposed at all times. This concurrent movement isaccomplished by virtue of the interconnection of the operating levers 27and 28 with the tie rod 33 and the fixed spacing of the pivotconnections 37 on the frame member 36.

It will also be noted that the supporting structures 18 at no timedetract from a neat appearance of the interior of the body 10 of themobile home vehicle. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, when the supportingstructures are in their retracted positions they are substantiallyconcealed by the upper deck 17 and located within a storage spacebetween a sidewall 11 and corresponding end of the upper deck 17. Whenthe upper deck is in its lowered position of FIG. 2 only the operatinglevers 28 and 29 and suspension levers 34 are clearly exposed.

Iclaim:

1. In a vehicle body having a pair of opposite sidewalls and a ceilingwall, a support apparatus for supporting an upper deck bed between saidsidewalls for vertical movement to an elevated position adjacent saidceiling wall and to a lowered position suspended from said ceiling wall,said support apparatus comprising:

a. a pair of foldable support structures corresponding to the ends ofthe upper deck, each support structure including a pair of leverassemblies each of which comprises an operating lever and a suspensionlever pivoted together at one of the ends thereof,

b. pivot means for supporting the other ends of of the operating leversfrom the ceiling wall,

c. second pivot means for connecting the other ends of the suspensionlevers to corresponding ends of the upper deck,

d. with the operating lever and suspension lever member in each leverassembly being extended in an end-to-end relation and said pair of leverassemblies inclined inwardly toward each other when the upper deck is inthe lowered position therefor, and the operating levers in each of saidsupport structures being extended toward each other transversely of theupper deck when the upper deck is in the elevated position therefor,

e. means for releasably locking one of the operating levers againstpivotal movement in the lowered and elevated positions of said upperdeck bed, and

f. means interconnecting the operating levers in each support structurefor concurrent pivotal movement.

2. In a vehicle body having a pair of opposite sidewalls and a ceilingwall, a support apparatus for supporting an upper deck bed between saidsidewalls for vertical movement to an elevated position adjacent saidceiling wall and to a lowered position suspended from said ceiling wall,said support apparatus comprising: a. a pair of foldable structurescorresponding to opposite ends of said upper deck bed, each of whichincludes an elongated flat mounting member extended transversely of theupper deck bed and secured to the ceiling wall at a position between asidewall and an adjacent end of the upper deck bed,

r b. a pair of pivoted lever assemblies corresponding to each mountingmember, each lever assembly including an operating lever and asuspension lever pivotally connected to together at one of the endsthereof, each operating lever having the other end thereof pivotallysupported adjacent an end of a corresponding mounting member.

. pivot means connecting the other end of a suspension lever with acorresponding end of said upper deck bed to provide for said two levermembers in a lever assembly being in an end-to-end relation and saidpair of lever assemblies inclined inwardly toward each other when theupper deck bed is in the lowered position therefor,

a tie rod pivotally interconnected to the pair of operating leverscorresponding to each mounting bracket to proe. means for releasablylocking said lever assemblies against relative pivotal movement whensaid upper deck bed is in the elevated and lowered positions therefor.

3. The invention according to claim 2 including:

a. means interconnected between the pairs of operating levers on eachmounting member for yieldably urging said operating levers for pivotalmovement inwardly toward each other.

4. The invention according to claim 2 wherein:

a. said locking means includes a pivoted latch member on each mountingmember,

b. a first catch member on an operating lever corresponding to saidmounting member, and

c. asecond catch member on said upper deck bed,

d. said latch member being pivotally movable into locking engagementwith said first catch member when the upper deck is in the loweredposition therefor, and into locking engagement with the second catchmember when the upper deck is in the elevated position therefor.

1. In a vehicle body having a pair of opposite sidewalls and a ceilingwall, a support apparatus for supporting an upper deck bed between saidsidewalls for vertical movement to an elevated position adjacent saidceiling wall and to a lowered position suspended from said ceiling wall,said support apparatus comprising: a. a pair of foldable supportstructures corresponding to the ends of the upper deck, each supportstructure including a pair of lever assemblies each of which comprisesan operating lever and a suspension lever pivoted together at one of theends thereof, b. pivot means for supporting the otHer ends of of theoperating levers from the ceiling wall, c. second pivot means forconnecting the other ends of the suspension levers to corresponding endsof the upper deck, d. with the operating lever and suspension levermember in each lever assembly being extended in an end-to-end relationand said pair of lever assemblies inclined inwardly toward each otherwhen the upper deck is in the lowered position therefor, and theoperating levers in each of said support structures being extendedtoward each other transversely of the upper deck when the upper deck isin the elevated position therefor, e. means for releasably locking oneof the operating levers against pivotal movement in the lowered andelevated positions of said upper deck bed, and f. means interconnectingthe operating levers in each support structure for concurrent pivotalmovement.
 2. In a vehicle body having a pair of opposite sidewalls and aceiling wall, a support apparatus for supporting an upper deck bedbetween said sidewalls for vertical movement to an elevated positionadjacent said ceiling wall and to a lowered position suspended from saidceiling wall, said support apparatus comprising: a. a pair of foldablestructures corresponding to opposite ends of said upper deck bed, eachof which includes an elongated flat mounting member extendedtransversely of the upper deck bed and secured to the ceiling wall at aposition between a sidewall and an adjacent end of the upper deck bed,b. a pair of pivoted lever assemblies corresponding to each mountingmember, each lever assembly including an operating lever and asuspension lever pivotally connected to together at one of the endsthereof, each operating lever having the other end thereof pivotallysupported adjacent an end of a corresponding mounting member. c. pivotmeans connecting the other end of a suspension lever with acorresponding end of said upper deck bed to provide for said two levermembers in a lever assembly being in an end-to-end relation and saidpair of lever assemblies inclined inwardly toward each other when theupper deck bed is in the lowered position therefor, d. a tie rodpivotally interconnected to the pair of operating levers correspondingto each mounting bracket to provide for a concurrent pivotal movement ofsaid pair of operating levers from said upright positions therefor topositions projected inwardly toward each other wherein the upper deckbed is in the elevated position therefor, and e. means for releasablylocking said lever assemblies against relative pivotal movement whensaid upper deck bed is in the elevated and lowered positions therefor.3. The invention according to claim 2 including: a. means interconnectedbetween the pairs of operating levers on each mounting member foryieldably urging said operating levers for pivotal movement inwardlytoward each other.
 4. The invention according to claim 2 wherein: a.said locking means includes a pivoted latch member on each mountingmember, b. a first catch member on an operating lever corresponding tosaid mounting member, and c. a second catch member on said upper deckbed, d. said latch member being pivotally movable into lockingengagement with said first catch member when the upper deck is in thelowered position therefor, and into locking engagement with the secondcatch member when the upper deck is in the elevated position therefor.